Record management is a critical aspect of any business. It offers a variety of advantages. On one hand, record management helps you bounce back to a normal state after a mishap has happened. On the other hand, it improves performance and efficiency while adhering to legal obligations. In this article, we have discussed 8 amazing tips for great record-keeping.
For every business, record keeping and management look like a daunting task. Small scale businesses find it difficult to manage data and records on their own because they cannot outsource it to third-party or professional services due to a limited budget. Well, if that is the case, we have got you covered. With the help of these 8 tips, you can manage and keep the records effectively on your own. These tips are not strictly for digital record management. These can be referred to for physical record-keeping as well. Let’s take a look at the 8 amazing tips which are applicable across all spheres of records management and document archiving.
1. Accountability
Records management is a highly significant aspect of any business. In the absence of a professional or structured record management system, the records are placed without undergoing any kind of screening, filtering, or structuring. It is similar to throwing data into a huge pile of records that leads to the formation of a huge heap of records. Accessing or retrieving data from this heap is extremely difficult if not impossible, and consumes too much time in performing a simple task.
To combat this, it is recommended to make someone responsible for this so that accountability can be ensured. By delegating authority and responsibility for the records, you can hold a person accountable and auditable if any record is not found. It is their responsibility to make sure that the records are kept in a proper system.
2. Protection
It is important to take data management seriously because there can be confidential and sensitive information in the record you are keeping. This information can never be lost or made available to everyone. Hence, it needs to be protected. Records Retention Schedule Creation ensures that records are kept protected from unauthorized access as well as data disaster.
3. Integrity
By the integrity of data, we mean that the data is authentic and reliable. Once data is manipulated or changed, the integrity is compromised. Digital records can be edited and they can fall into the hands of unauthorized elements too. Physical records can become completely useless due to degradation, in the absence of proper management. Both types of records require different management solutions, which are critically important for the record’s integrity.
4. Compliance
A records management system is often a legal requirement of various sectors. If you are dealing in the health sector or law sector, it is important to implement a proper records keeping system, to remain compliant with regulations and requirements of law and other regulatory bodies. It is important to devise the rules for compliance so that they can be implemented effectively across the organization.
5. Availability
An effective records management system makes the whole system efficient. All the information and records are kept systematically. Whenever particular information is required that can be made available in the nick of time, without having to struggle to locate it. The availability of the records in a records management system is considered as the litmus test for the system’s efficiency. Ideally, a system will allow quick and painless access to records whenever they are needed. No matter how old the record is, the ease of accessing a record determines the performance and efficiency of a system.
6. Retention
There is no question when we talk about the retention of records. For effective records management, it is significant to retain records as per the rules and regulations of the system. There is a defined period for which the records should be maintained as per law and company regulations. However, retaining data longer than the defined time not only slows down the system but also violates regulations and laws. Hence, there has to be a defined retention policy for an efficient records system.
7. Transparency
An ideal records management system keeps records that can be understood by all relevant stakeholders- internal or external. To ensure transparency make sure that the protection of records is not jeopardized.
8. Disposal
As per the data management policy, records must be disposed of so that the system’s efficiency and performance are not compromised. Those records which are no longer required, and have completed the tenure, for which they must be retained, have to be disposed of off so that they don’t become a liability for the company. The disposal policy and procedures are also defined in the records management policy.
Contoural Inc
Contoural Inc provides up-to-date and reliable Records Management Consultants and Data Governance Consulting. Our solutions utilize cutting-edge technology and are price competitive in the market. Our team of professionals is trained, qualified, and experienced in data management. To know more about us or to get a consultation, get in touch with our representative.
